D.C. Stars: The Hockey Romance Series You Can’t Put Down

There’s something about hockey romance that just hits different—and the D.C. Stars series by Chelsea Curto proves exactly why. With intense chemistry, found family dynamics, and characters that fall hard, this series pulls you in from the very first page and doesn’t let go.

Reading order:

Book one: Face off

I went into Face Off by Chelsea Curto thinking it would be a typical hockey romance, but it ended up pulling me in way more than I expected. Emmy finally getting her shot with the D.C. Stars and immediately clashing with Maverick just makes everything feel intense from the start.

What I liked most is that their dynamic doesn’t feel forced—the tension, the “just once” that obviously isn’t just once, and the whole friends-with-benefits situation actually builds instead of resolving too quickly. Maverick especially surprised me… he acts like he has everything under control, but he’s clearly the first one to fall.

It’s not overly deep, but it’s addictive. I read it super fast mostly because I wanted to see how long they’d keep pretending it didn’t mean anything.

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Book two: Power play

I didn’t expect Power Play by Chelsea Curto to go that chaotic… but in the best way. Piper is trying to get her life back on track after her divorce, and instead of jumping back into dating, she decides to focus on something she can control—her confidence In the bedroom. Enter Liam, the team’s quiet, emotionally closed-off goalie who somehow becomes her “teacher.”

What starts as something casual and low-pressure quickly spirals into a fake marriage after a very messy night in Vegas… and honestly, that’s where it gets addictive. Their dynamic feels surprisingly comfortable, but there’s still that underlying tension of “this isn’t supposed to be real.”

I really liked how their relationship builds from something practical into something softer without losing the fun. It’s messy, a little unhinged, but super easy to binge—and Liam quietly falling first just makes it better.

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Book three: Slap shot

Slap Shot by Chelsea Curto ended up being way softer than I expected… and honestly, that’s what made me love it. Hudson just wants a private chef, Madeline just needs a job, and somehow it turns into this really domestic, slow-burn situation with them living together.

What I liked most is how natural everything feels. It’s not instant drama—it’s quiet moments, shared routines, and that tension building little by little. And Lucy?? She completely changes the dynamic in the best way.

Hudson is definitely that guy—the “if he wanted to, he would” type—and the fact that he learns sign language for her daughter just makes everything hit harder. It’s still spicy, but this one leans more into comfort and emotional connection, which made it feel different from the others.

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Book four: Hat tick

Hat Trick by Chelsea Curto was way more emotional than I expected going in. Riley starts off as someone who literally has everything, and then suddenly loses the one thing that defined his entire life. That shift hits hard, and you can really feel how lost he is trying to figure out who he is outside of hockey.

Lexi was such a good balance for him—she’s sarcastic, grounded, and doesn’t treat him like he’s broken, which I loved. Their friends-with-benefits situation starts off casual, but it’s obvious pretty quickly that there’s more underneath, especially on Riley’s side.

This one still has the same addictive dynamic as the others, but it leans a lot more into healing and identity. It’s a bit heavier emotionally, but that’s exactly what makes it stand out.

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Book five: Sin bin

Sin Bin by Chelsea Curto feels a little different from the rest of the series, mostly because of Brody. He’s older, grumpy, very closed off… and way more emotionally complicated than he lets on. The whole “player’s younger sister” + age gap dynamic adds tension from the start, but it’s the slow unraveling of his character that makes it interesting.

Hannah, on the other hand, is trying to figure out her life outside of figure skating, and I liked that her storyline isn’t just about the romance—it’s also about burnout and identity. Their connection builds pretty naturally through the time they spend together, even if they keep trying to ignore it.

It’s definitely more of a quiet, tension-heavy story rather than super chaotic, but that push and pull between them—and Brody clearly catching feelings before he wants to admit it—makes it really easy to get invested.

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The series isn’t over yet, which honestly makes it even better—there are still two more books coming: Cross Check and Weak Side.